Railway-traffic-controlling system.



F. L. DODGSON. RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.27, 1903.

1,076,631 Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. 50 WW2;

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. L. DODGSON.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOR FILED MAR. 27, 1903.

1,076,631., Patented 001:. 21, 1913.

2 SHHETSSHEET 2.

WITNE55E5= A/NVENT COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Q0.,WASH|NGTON, D. c.

UNETED STATES EPA" FRANK I1. DODGSDN, OF ROCHESTER, NE N YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY MESN-E ASSIGNMENTS,

TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW- YORK,

NEW YORK.

A COMEANY OF RAILWAY-TRAEFIC-CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

roaster.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 21, 19123.

Applicationfiledlvlarch 27, 19.03, Serial No. 149,841.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DonesoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railwayitrafiic-()(mtrolling Systems, of which the following. is a specification. I

This invention relates to electric apparatus for use in connection with railway trafficcontrolling systems such as include traiiiccontrolling devices requiring operation in one direction and indicating devices for giving indication of such movement of the traffic controlling devices. The invention is shown and described as applied to a semaphore, that is moved by a motor in one direction but is moved in the other direction automatically, as for instance, by gravity. It is an electrical adaptation of the inventions set forth in United States Patent No. 64-7483.

The object of the invention is to. produce an eilicient and safe apparatus and the invention consists in the apparatus hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the drawings :-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention as applied to a railway signal; and Fig. 2 is a like diagram of a modification.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprising a manual-ly-operable controlling member 0, which may be connected with, or be a portion of, the ordinary controller lever in the signal operators tower and which is provided with the usual tappet slot 1 and with an indicating slot 2; said indicating slot having at one end a stop face and an inclined portion 5 and at the other end a large rectangular portion 1. In the slot is a roller 3 attached by a rod 6 to the armature 7 of the indicating magnet 8. Attached to the frame which carries the lever, and properly insulated therefrom, are three pairs of contact springs designated respectively as 9 and 1-0; 11 and 12; and 15 and 16. A fourth. pair of springs 13 and 14 are fixed on frame for a purpose described below. A conductive bridge 17 is fixed on a sliding rod 118, which is attached to and actuated by the lever O. A second bridge 19 is loose on the rod 18 and is moved by cotlars 20 and 21 fixed on the rod. In the operation of the lever it has three positions, which are indicated by lines 1, 2 ant 3 showing the positions. of the lever with respect to the rod 6. 1 is they normal, position 2 is t indicating position; and 3 is the operating position.

In, the normal position the bridge 17 connects the two contacts 9 and 10. and the bridge 19 is held between the two. springs 13 and 14 in order thatthe rod 18 may slide through the bridge 19: until the collar 21 strikes the bridge; Connection, between the contacts 11 and 12, and 15 and 16 is broken. In position 3, which is the extreme position to the left, the roller 3 is against the right hand end of the slot 2, and the bridge 17 then makes connection between the contacts 11 and 12, but, during the last part of the movement of the lever toward the left, the bridge 19 is moved by the collar 21 to a position between the contacts 15- and 16. The signal 13 is counterweighted so. as to move automatically, when free, to its normal (danger) position. At the signal is the mo,- tor 22 and a slot magnet 23. By a suitable mechanism, this motor when provided with current pulls the signal intothe clear position. When, the signal is in the clear position, current is out 011 from the motor, as will be described below, and the slot magnet 23 is furnished with current which will hold the signal in the clear position. Adjacent to the signal armv are twopairs of contact springs 24 and 25, 26. and 27; and a rod 28 actuated by the. signal carries two bridges 29 and 30, which, in proper positions, make and break the contact between these springs. When the signal is in the danger, or normal position, contact is made between both pairs of contacts. hen the signal leaves the nor mal position, the connection between the contacts 2 1 and 25 is broken, but the connection between 26 and 27 remains until the signal. reaches the clear position, and then this. contact is broken.

From any source of electric energy, such as a battery a wire 31 leads to the contact 11 of the controller mechanism in. the tower. From the contact 12, a line wire 32 (the operating wire) runs to one terminal of the motor 22; and a branch 33 leads to one of the terminals of the slot magnet 23,. A. wire 34 runs from the opposite terminal I of the slot magnet to the, negative side of the battery. From the opposite. terminal of the motor to which the wire 32 is attached, a wire 35 runs to the contact 27; and from the opposite contact 26 a wire 36'joins the wire 34 and connects with the other terminal of the slot magnet 23. From the wire 36 a branch is connected to thecontact 24. From the contact 25, a line wire 37 leads to the contact 15in the tower and from the contact 16, a wire 38 leads to one terminal or" the indicating magnet 8. The opposite terminal of the magnet 8 is joined by the wire 39 to the positive side of the battery. From the line wire 32 a branch 41 runs to he contact 10. The contact 9 is connected by the wire 42 to the negative side of the battery.

It will be noted that the slot or clutch circuit through the contacts 11, 17-and 12 is maintained because and while the roller 3 is against the left wall of the aperture 4 in the lever 0. This is because the distance from the operating position 3 in which the roller 3 is against the right hand wall of the aperture 4, to the position in which the roller :3 is against the left hand wall of said aperture 4, is less than the length of the bridge 17 and consequently, it the indicator is energized, so that the roller 3 is within the aperture 4, the bridge 17 cannot be moved from the position 0t contact with the contacts 11 and 12.

The operation is as follows :-The parts being all in their normal positions 1, the lever 0 is pulled to the left as far as it will go, or until the right hand end of the slot 2 strikes the roller, which is position 3 of the lever. Current now flows from the positive side of the battery to the wire 31, contact 11, bridge 17, contact 12 and wire 32 to the motor 22 at the signal, then through the wire 35, contact 27 bridge 30, contact 26, wire 36, and wire 34 to the negative side of the battery, making a complete circuit. The motor now runs and pulls the signal to the clear position and then the bridge 30 breaks the connection between the contacts 26 and 27, and as current is fiowing through the slot magnet 23 through wires 33 and 34, the signal is held in the clear position. To reset the signal to normal the lever is moved toward the right until the stop-face at the end of the inclined part 5 of the slot 2 strik s the roller. This is position 2 of the lever, and in this position current through the slot circuit is brokenat the springs 11 and 12 and the slot magnet is deenergized and allows the signal to fall by gravity to danger; and when bridge 29 connects the contacts 24 and 25 a circuit is made from the positive side of the battery, through the wire 39, indication magnet 8, wire 38, contact 16, bridge 19, contact 15, wire 37, contact 25, bridge 29, contact24, wires 36 and 34, to

the negative side of the battery. This is a" complete circuit and energizes the magnet 8,

simplicity of. description) raising the roller into the" inclined slot 5 and forcing the lever to theright and into the position 1. During this part of the movement, the bridge 19 is moved from be tween the contacts 15and 16 to its original position between the springs 13 and 14. The

parts are now in their original or normal position. 7

The protection from crosses is needed when the parts are standing in their normal position 1. A cross then on the operating wire 32 from a wire carrying positive current would, in the absence of special provision, be capable of setting the signal motor 22 in motion. But it will be noted that,

'in this position of the parts, the wire 32'is connected by the wire 41 to the contact 10 and through the bridge17, contact 9 and wire 42 to the negative side of the battery 40. Consequently, any positive current on the wire 32 would flow to the battery rather than through the motor. l/Vhen the parts are in the position 1 a cross of any kind on the wire 37 can have no efiect because the connection of this wire to the indication magnet is broken at the contacts 15 and 16. When the lever is in the position 3 and the signal is in the clear position, a cross from a positive wire on the operating wire 32 can do no more than to help hold the signal in the clear position. A cross on the wire 37 from a wire carrying negative current energizes the indication magnet 8 and raises the roller into the upper part of the rectangular slot 4. Under such conditions when the lever is returned from position 3 to 2 the roller will come against the upper part of the left hand side of the rectangular slot 4 which will prevent the lever from taking the position 2 or the position 1. All the protection that is needed is therefore given.

It must be remembered that the object to be accomplished in this kind of a signal apparatus is to make it impossible for the le ver to be normal and the signal to be in the clear position. While it may not be desirable tohave the lever reversed, or in position 3, and the signal in the danger position, there can be no danger to traflic when such a condition exists. A delay of traflic would be the worst that could happen.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of the device set forth in Fig. 1 adapting it to two or more signals (two only being shown for in combination with a selecting apparatus so that either or both of the two signal arms may be operated by the motor through a common transmitting device. In this modification, the motor controller consisting of the lever 0, the con tacts and bridges are the same as in Fig. 1 and theelectrical indicator consisting ofthe indicating magnet'and its armature are also the same. .The circuits at the tower and the line wires are also the same. At some point in the operating line 32, is placed a circuit changer 4A having two pairs of contact points which when used in combination'with a movable bridge 45 is adapted to shift the current through a selector magnet 46 when in one position or through a selector magnet 47 when in another position and by a common wire 48 from both of said selector magnets through the slot magnet 23 to one pole of the motor 22. The bridge 4:5 is connected to any mechanism by whose position it is desired to control the action phore blades, such for instance as a switch. The other pole of the motor 22 is connected by the wire 35 as in the other form of device through the contacts 27 and 26 and the movable bridge 80 to the common wire 34 by a wire 36. A branch 33 connects the slot magnet circuit on the other side of the motor to the common wire 84 as in the other case. Each of the two signal arms 4L9 and 50 has connected to it a circuit breaker consisting of the contacts 2st and 25 and the movable bridge 29 so that the said bridge is moved with the signal arm as in the other case. The circuit breaker comprising the contact members 26, 27 and 30, is common to the two semaphore arms, and is not actuated directly by either arm, as in Fig. 1, but may be connected with and actuated by the common actuating mechanism of the two semaphores. A branch 51 from the common wire 3 L runs through the contact breaker of the signal 49 and a wire 52 runs from said contact breaker through and from the contact breaker of the signal 50 which is there connected to the line wire 37.

The operation of the arrangement in Fig. 2 is substantially similar to that of the form hereinbefore described except that in a man- 1 nor well known the shifting of the bridge 4.5 connects either signal with the transmit- 1 ting device carrying power from the motor, 1 through the operation of the selector magnets 46 and s7. When the bridge 45 is in y the position shown in the drawing the parts are in position when the bridge indication can be transmitted unless bot-h signal arms are in their normal or danger 1 position.

The mechanism which is controlled by the selector magnets 46 and 4:7 and actuated by the motor 22 is not illustrated and described herein, since it is not essential to the present invention. A mechanism suitable for this purpose is disclosed, however, in my copending application, Serial No. 204,655, filed April 23, 1904:.

My invention is not limited to the embodiof the semato operate the signal 50;

4:5 is shifted to connect its other contact points the parts will be in position to operate the signal 49. The contact breakers attached to the signal arms 49 g and 50 are in the indicating circuit and no i m'ent thereof hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but may be embodied in various forms within the nature of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is 1. A railway traflic-controlling system having, in combination, a traflic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a source of electricity, two circuits each including the motor, of which one includes the source of electricity and the other constitutes a short-circuit for the motor, and a man ually-operable motor-controller having co operating contacts interposed in said circuits and arranged to close either circuit and open the other alternatively, according to the position of the motor-controller, so as either to connect the source of electricity with the motor to operate the latter, or to disconnect the motor from the source of electricity and short-circuit the motorterminals so as to prevent operation of the motor by cross-currents.

2. A railway traffic-controlling system having, in combination, a traiiic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a shunt circuit for said motor, a circuit-controller mechanically connected to and movable in accordance with the traflic-controlling device, a source of electricity, a manually-operable motor-controller, connections between the source of electricity, the motor and the motor-controller constituting a motor-circuit controlled by the motor-controller and through which the movements of the trafficcontro-lling device are controlled, said manually-operable motor-controller having a position in which it establishes said shunt circuit, an electromagnetic locking-device cooperating with the motor-controller to prevent movements of the latter from closed-circuit position to shunt-circuit position when the magnet of the locking-device is energized from any source, and connections between the source of electricity, the locking-device and the circuit-controller, constituting a circuit through which the magnet is energized, said circuit being closed by the circuit-controller when the trailic-controlling device is in one position, and being broken by the circuit-controller when the traflic-controlling device is moved out of said position by the motor.

3. A railway tratlic-controlling system having, in combination, a traflic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a shunt circuit for said motor, a circuit-controller mechanically connected to and movable in accordance with the traffic-controlling device, a source of electricity, a manually-operable motor-controller, connections between the source of electricity, the motor and the motor-controller constituting a motor-circuit controlled by the motor-controller, and

through which the movements of the trafliccontrolling device are controlled, said manually-operable motor-controller having a position in which it establishes said shunt circuit, an electromagnetic locking-device cooperating with the motor-controller and preventing movement of the latter from closed-circuit position to shunt-circuit position, or vice versa, when the magnet of the locking device is energized from'any source, and connections between the source of electricity, the locking device and the circuitcontroller constituting a circuit through which the magnet is energized, said circuit being closed by the circuit-controller when the traffic-controlling device is in one position, and being broken by the circuit controller when the traffic-controlling device is moved out of said position by the motor.

4. A railwaytraffic controlling system having, in combination, a traffic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a source of electricity, a motor-circuit, an electromagnetic indicator, a circuit for said indicator a circuit-controller mechanically connected with the traffic-controlling device and movable thereby into opencircuit position when the traflic-controlling device is moved by the motor, a manually-operable circuit-controller comprising contacts interposed in and controlling both the motorcircuit and the indicator-circuit, said contacts being arranged to close first the motorcircuit, and then the indicator-circuit, when the circuit-controller is moved from normal position, and to open first the motor-circuit, and then the indicator-circuit, when the circuitcontro-ller is returned to normal position, locking mechanism connected with the manually-operable circuit-controller and actuated by the indicator to prevent movement of said circuit-controller from normal to opposite position, or vice versa, when the indicator is energized from any source, said indicator circuit being formed by connections between the source of electricity, the indicator and the circuit-controller and constituting a circuit through which the indicator is energized, said circuit being closed by the circuit-controller when the trafliccontrolling device is in one position, and be ing broken by the circuit-controller when the traiiiocontrolling device is moved out of said position by the motor. 7

5. A railway traffic-controlling system having, in combination, a traflic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a source of electricity, a motor-circuit, an electromagnetic indicator, an indicator circuit, a circuit controller mechanically connected with'the trafiic-controlling device and movable thereby into open-circuit position when the t-raflic-controlling device is moved by the motor, a manually-operable circuit-controller comprising contacts interposed in and controlling both the motor-circuit and the indicator-circuit, said contacts being ar ranged to close first the motor-circuit and then the indicator-circuit, when. the circuitcontroller is moved from normal position, and to open first the motor-circuit and then the indicator-circuit when the circuit-controller'is returned to nor nal position, and controller-actuating mechanism actuated by the indicator when energized to complete the return movement of the circuit-controller to normal position after the motorcircuit has been broken and before the incli- CttiZOr-Cllllii? is broken.

6. A railway traiiic-controlling system having, in combination, a traffic-controlling device, an electric motor therefor, a source of electricity, a motor-circuit, an electromag netic indicator, an indicator circuit, a circuitcontroller' mechanically connected with the traflic-controlling device and movable thereby into open-circuit position when the trafiiccontrolling device is moved by the motor, a manually-operable circuit-controller comprising contacts interposed in and oontrolling both the motor-circuit and the indicator-circuit, said contacts being arranged to close first the motor-circuit and then the indicator-circuit, when the circuit-controller is moved from normal position, and to'open first the motor-circuit and then the indicator-circuit, when the circuit-controller is returned to normal position, and locking mechanism connected with the manually-operable circuit-controller and actuated by the indicator when the indicator is energized,

to prevent movement of said circuit-controller from normal to oppositeposition, or vice r versa, and returning mechanism connected with the manually-operable circuit-controller and actuated by theenergization of the indicator to insure the completion of the re turn movement of the circuit-controller to normal position after the circuit-controller has been moved far enough to break the motor-circuit.

FRANK L. DODGSON.

Witnesses D. GURNEE, I. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

